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Re: How much will you sacrifice to get Shenmue 3 to $10,000

I have medical bills currently, so my funds are limited. But here's what I will do for certain, after perusing my budget:

I've pledged $60. On July 3rd, I'm increasing to $100. I'm also the same day giving my friend an additional $60 so he can back (he is completely broke and worse off than me.)

Finally, before the end of the Kickstarter, I can contribute an additional $45 or so it looks like. So I will. And then throughout the intervening year I will donate to PayPal once they add the option (I'm SURE they will,) whenever I can.

That's the best I can do, even if I skip games etc. I'm strapped this year due to kidney stones and other health issues sadly.
by Anonymous81
Thu Jun 25, 2015 9:36 pm
 
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Re: "$30 on the 3rd" - ROAD TO $10 MILLION

I am 100% down for $30 extra on July 3rd! Count me in!
by Anonymous81
Thu Jun 25, 2015 9:41 pm
 
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Re: Kickstarter Update #15 The Plan

Fortune favors the bold! Is this a hell of a stretch goal? Yes. Do I believe it's at least POSSIBLE we can achieve it? YES! I do. I will continue doing my little part, for whatever it's worth, day in and day out. I will donate what I can, post everywhere, talk to people, do outreach, whatever I can!

Most importantly, we need to keep our eye on the prize. Not get distracted by trolls, worrying about whether the campaign is perfectly ideal or not, etc. The campaign can be tweaked over time. We can't cry over spilled milk when something isn't perfect. Time is of the essence, and we have to focus on remaining driven and getting the word out, at least in my opinion.

I am proud, and privileged to be in this with all of you from where I sit. Peace. Until tomorrow, when we start all over again!
by Anonymous81
Thu Jun 25, 2015 11:28 pm
 
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Re: Troll Pledging?

It's strange. People always say people like that are compensating... but I'm technically a lonely, isolated person with no social life or relationship (apart from a few close friends) for going on 9 years... and I just want everyone to be happy and fulfilled in their lives. It's strange and sad to me that some people want others to share in their misery. I'm the opposite. I want people to be happier than I am, because I'm happy when others are.

Such a lack of empathy confounds and perplexes me.

Oh well. To 10 million! I'll never give up until it's over! :)
by Anonymous81
Thu Jun 25, 2015 2:07 pm
 
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Re: There Is No Reason For Panic (Yet)

The new rewards did wonders tonight! We've passed 3.7 million finally.

Now we need to make sure all the new backers know about #30onthe3rd and hopefully enough of them will take part that it has some impact.
by Anonymous81
Sat Jun 27, 2015 12:23 am
 
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Re: Rough transcript of the interview on Twitch

Not that I care about credit... but I'm actually the one who made this transcript lol. :P

But that's okay. Share freely, far and wide! I care not. :) Whatever helps the game.
by Anonymous81
Sat Jun 27, 2015 12:19 am
 
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Re: Joel "red shirt" Tess Discussion Topic (Twitch)

I concur. We have to make lemonade from lemons, friends.

We can't force them to change the style, design, or quality of the KS campaign just by complaining about it. They will surely respond to some of our constructive criticism, but at the end of the day, we must accept that we have no direct power over them.

To that end, I strongly believe we should instead refocus on the positive. Get the word out about the KS however we can, promote #30onthe3rd http://30onthe3rd.com , and just generally try our utmost to create a positive, united face of this community that the outside world sees. In-fighting and so forth are not going to get even one person to back the project. But trying out damndest to remain focused and positive... just might. Even if it's only one backer at a time.

After 14 years, I believe it's worth it to buckle down and do that, no matter how critical we may be of the campaign. Politely make requests, yes, but stay focused on what we CAN change and do, both individually and collectively. Not on waiting for them to do what we WANT them to do. Because they may or may not, and then what? Are we going to waste this opportunity after 14 years?

Not me. I'm in this until the bitter end. 100%. Kidney stone agony and bloody urine and all! I bleed for Shenmue! :) (Too much info, sorry. Just underscoring my commitment!)
by Anonymous81
Sat Jun 27, 2015 9:32 pm
 
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Re: $30 on the 3rd - PLAN OF ATTACK

11 AM my time tomorrow? I'm in! I'll bump up from the collector's edition to the signed collector's edition, in addition to loaning my friend $60 so he can back PC physical.

That's me tapped out until the next month, so here's hoping they add PayPal. (I have no doubt they will.)

I pray this has the cumulative impact it has the potential to!
by Anonymous81
Thu Jul 02, 2015 6:51 pm
 
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Re: 30 on the 3rd: A Roaring Success

As I said over on the actual KS comments section yesterday, #30onthe3rd is the proudest I've ever felt to be a gamer. I feel like we achieved something real, something meaningful, and an act of sheer defiance against the odds.

Everything stacked against this campaign - from the nature of the game itself (we don't like to admit it, but it's becoming clear that the games really only hold niche appeal despite the great sales of the original at the time, imo) to the gaming media distortions (creating the impression that Sony is either benefitting from or fully funding the project) to the high goals (high sticker price Kickstarters for video games are a fairly new invention and don't always do well) to the arguably less than ideal campaign presentation - all made yesterday's "victory" even sweeter.

I feel like we secured the game's future yesterday, ensuring that it will, whatever else it may be or not be, at least be something more than just the bare minimum now.

I now have no doubt that we will:


⋅ Reach 4.2 million (probably today)
⋅ Reach 5.1 million (probably thanks to more forthcoming rewards and media coverage, IF the media can get off their figurative kiesters and report on what was achieved yesterday in a balanced manner lol) but if not, then certainly in the final push

I have some lingering concerns about the physical scale of the game, and how substantial it will feel if we don't hit at least 8 million. And I do fear that without another announcement to rival the PS4 physical release, and some in depth, hard hitting promotion on major sites, we will never break 6 million.

But all of that is negligible to me next to the awesome feeling of pride and joy I harbor at having been a part of what happened yesterday. Yes, the new rewards put it over the top, but #30onthe3rd came straight from the heart and soul of the hardest of the hardcore Shenmue fans, to sprinkle miracle dust on the gaming world. And that is awesome. And that is almost not even hyperbole because of how awesome it was lol.
by Anonymous81
Sat Jul 04, 2015 9:02 am
 
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Officially licensed Shenmue art print benefitting S3 KS!

C/o mjqjazzbar over on the Kickstarter comments section:

"Shenmue print by the concept artist behind Uncharted and Last of Us. He is donating all proceeds up to the 17th to this Kickstarter. It is officially licensed by SEGA..."

https://www.candb.com/en/artwork/1516/shenmue-sega.html

If legit, I know some here might be interested! And it supports the KS if true!

Official description:


Shenmue is an official limited edition art print drawn by artist John Sweeney based on the classic Shenmue™ game series. Sweeney made this print under direction of Cook & Becker and with official license from SEGA.

John Sweeney - lead concept artist for Sony's The Last of Us and Uncharted 4 - is a huge Shenmue fan. He will donate his proceeds of any copy of this artwork purchased before July 17 to the Shenmue 3 Kickstarter!

Sweeney says about his Shenmue artwork: "I'm so excited that Shenmue 3 is finally happening! I wanted to capture the moment just after Ryo's father Iwao is killed by Lan Di. In the game the scene stops with Ryo cradling Iwao and screaming "No!". I wanted to imagine a shot where Ryo is standing just outside the dojo where is father was just killed. It is cold and very early in the morning. Snow is falling. The morning light is still weak and only some of the wood interior is catching light from the outside. Ryo's pose already hints at him seeking revenge."

The normal size, unframed version of this print is printed on a glossy archival photo paper to emphasize the photographic nature of the image. The paper size of this version is 86 x 47.5 cm or 33.8 x 18.7" including a small white border. For all the Dibond mounted finishes we trim those white edges.

About this project
Cook & Becker asked some of the hottest artists and designers working in entertainment and video games today if they wanted to draw a print of their favorite retro SEGA games. The idea was to create a series of beautiful prints that would capture the heart of these classic brands and what they meant for the artists and people playing and growing up with them.

Going forward Cook & Becker will work with SEGA to periodically release new giclee prints from a variety of retro SEGA games.
by Anonymous81
Mon Jul 06, 2015 6:37 pm
 
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Re: Another 64 x $1,500 "I AM SHENMUE" pledges available!

Wow. I understand what some are saying and why they would feel that way, and I can respect it. But personally? If I had that much money to spend, I'd just be honored to be immortalized in any form in a game that means this much to me. I wouldn't be worrying about whether other people could make out my face or how prominent my position in the game was. Just knowing I was part of the game - my name, my face - would be a tremendous honor and something I would cherish forever. Hell, I already feel that way even just about having my name in the credits.

If it helps you guys at all: I promise when I have the game in-hand and see your names and faces, I will carefully reflect on each one, even if it takes hours, and say, "These people helped make this dream come true, and I'm so grateful. Thank-you." So you'll definitely get noticed. At least by one person. Does that help?
by Anonymous81
Mon Jul 06, 2015 8:58 pm
 
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Re: What do you like most about Shenmue ?

The slow, meticulous, day to day life aspect. Many games say "live another life." Only Shenmue ever really felt like that. Much less like a game and almost more like a sim, honestly.

But then it turns that on its head by also giving you great combat mechanics, fun side games (including complete ports of real arcade and console games,) and a fantastically heightened, mythology-based narrative. All wrapped up in a beautiful martial arts inspired package with a kung fu movie vibe.

Just... totally novel. There's nothing else like it. Playing it was almost a spiritual experience, to be honest.
by Anonymous81
Mon Jul 06, 2015 8:53 pm
 
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Re: Shenmue III KS Update 26 - fan appreciation

This is well deserved and very moving to read/see.

Johnny come lateleys like me who always passionately loved the games but never thought there was any point in participating in such communities as this one once the industry appeared to orphan the series, owe everything to those of you who have been truly active in the last 14 years. Without you, none of this would be happening right now, and I'm so grateful.
by Anonymous81
Tue Jul 07, 2015 9:41 am
 
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Re: Im not calling Yu Suzuki a liar.....

Sadly, while in supporting the campaign itself I tend to be boundlessly optimistic, when it comes to the video game industry itself, I take a more pessimistic view. I can't assert that there's not any truth to this of course, and I find myself HOPING you're absolutely right. But allow me to lay out my fears.

Yu Suzuki is unquestionably a genius of video game design and an innovator and visionary. However... with all deference to his genius and all the love in the world for his creations... I must concede that it has been a long, long time since he made anything. Let alone anything the magnitude of a Shenmue. And what he's best known for, at least from an industry standpoint, are two commercial failures that ended up going grossly over budget.

That makes it hard to secure funding as it is. But then on top of that, you have to consider what Shenmue itself is. A 14 year old, highly slow paced adventure game with strong martial arts themes, and a hyper-detailed world featuring quasi-life-sim elements. That may sound amazing to those of us who love it, but it doesn't scream "mass market potential" to publishers and business partners. Not in 2015. The landscape, frankly, has changed dramatically.

So you've got several factors that make securing funding quite challenging. And then you've got the fact that the potential audience for your product, even if you CAN get it off the ground, may be quite small indeed. That's a massive risk. You find an angel donor of sorts in Sony, and you secure some limited funding from them. But it's clear they aren't willing to commit to such an unproven, massive financial risk. So you end up with a huge budget shortfall.

So what do you do? You play it safe. You come up with a Plan A, and a Plan B. Plan A: Set a minimum realistic goal so that you can, almost no matter what, at least continue to tell the story in some way, shape, or form. I believe that's what he meant by "Story oriented Shenmue," and by saying that at the most rudimentary funding level, "This will be the STORY you have been waiting for." I do believe that was a literal statement. As in, at $2 million, that's ALL we'd get.

Plan B: Come up with some rudimentary design goals that would at least flesh the game out as much as the first Shenmue if you get even halfway to them, so that it could stand up at least to that legacy, if not to the second game. But then at the same time, also go for broke and create a "pipe dream" set of goals that if somehow, some way get funded, will result in the ultimate fulfillment of your vision.

That way if you reach Plan A, you at least have something to show for it, some way to continue the story. If you make it half way to Plan B, you've at least got a GOOD game, a decent Shenmue game that you can still pack full of content and detail and make people feel they've played a game at least on part with the first Shenmue. And if you make if ALL THE WAY to plan B, then you've got the whole shebang, and the true Shenmue game people have been waiting for. Hence, "the full on Shenmue experience you have dreamed of," if we reach 10 million.

It would be wonderful if all of this was some brilliant marketing subterfuge on his part. I wouldn't feel at all deceived. On the contrary, I'd be overjoyed! But I seriously doubt this is the case. Given the issues they've had with Awesome Japan and how poor that company's track record is, given the insane level of the stretch goals, and given the generally poorly implemented nature of some of the campaign (not all of it by any means!) I really do feel they're desperately strapped for cash even with Sony and others' aid. And that the Kickstarter really is transparently exactly what they estimate they need to make the things they say they can at each stretch goal.

Which is why it's soooo frustrating and lamentable to me to see the campaign taken out of context, misconstrued, and battered in the press and the rumor mill. Because I feel like they really are just struggling to fulfill an artistic vision we've waited almost two decades for, and all anyone can do is talk about why it's not necessary or not needed. I feel the complete opposite is true.

As is almost always the case though... I hope I'm wrong. And I hope we get a robust PayPal campaign after the KS ends.
by Anonymous81
Wed Jul 08, 2015 9:02 pm
 
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Re: The Final Blow - LAST CHANCE FOR SHENMUE 3

It frustrates me to see some withholding support from the campaign due to displeasure with how AJ have run it. This is our ONLY CHANCE. Okay so things haven't been ideal. Few will deny that. But this is it. This is what we have. We owe it to ourselves, to Yu, to the game we've dreamed of for the better part of TWO DECADES to do absolutely everything we can to support it in any way possible.

I spent today counting out change, and tediously squeezing them into paper rolls! I'll deposit them Monday, and up my pledge by the absolute maximum I possibly can on July 15th as my contribution to #TheFinalBlow! We can do this! Let's make a huge final push and bring this thing home! For Yu, and for ourselves!
by Anonymous81
Fri Jul 10, 2015 8:42 pm
 
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Re: Your chosen rewards poll

Signed Collector's Edition here. Going to keep it displayed on my shelf and never even open the game. Will buy an additional copy to play and support. :)

My final pledge will end up being a total of $360 including shipping (adding some more for #TheFinalBlow!) It is an honor and privilege to contribute to this with all of you, and one of my proudest moments ever as a gamer.
by Anonymous81
Sat Jul 11, 2015 7:19 pm
 
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Re: Yu Suzuki Live on Nico Nico Douga 07/12

Fantastic interview.

Sounds like no matter what, we're getting a true Shenmue game. It's just the scale and openness that depends on funding.

Also, what he said about crying, being moved by our support, and about video games having a unique way of bonding with the spirit of a player, was really beautiful and proves why we are all so willing to support him so loyally. He really gets it. He GETS how much we all care and what it means, and the importance of this moment is not lost on him. That speaks volumes for the game he'll try to make and for him as a person.
by Anonymous81
Mon Jul 13, 2015 1:58 am
 
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Re: The Final Blow - LAST CHANCE FOR SHENMUE 3

I've been posting the following everywhere I can:

-----------------------------------------------

Please consider taking part in the "QTE" even this July 15th. Register and create an account at the Team Yu website, and then on July 15th go here: http://teamyu.net/Shenmue.III?action=qte to enter! This event will aim to not only get #SaveShenmue trending but also to make people stand up, take notice, and PLEDGE to this Kickstarter while there's still time. :) Note the synchronized TIMES on the QTE website, for the ideal times on July 15th to enter in your time zone, so we can all make a united last stand! :)

The same day, unleash #TheFinalBlow! July 15th through the 17th, get #TheFinalBlow and #SaveShenmue trending, and increase your pledges if you can at all during those days (if you can’t that’s okay! Every contribution is welcome and appreciated!) http://30onthe3rd.com/finalblow/ | https://youtu.be/G2m8xhe_G2g

These are the final two fan organized major offensives to bring this Kickstarter campaign home! Participate if you can July 15th through 17th! For Yu, for Shenmue, and for ourselves!

Also you can check out Shenmue Collective’s Facebook event for July 15th as well! http://t.co/DrOIoVx8N7 Win a Sega Dreamcast with Shenmue!

July 15th - 17th: our last chance.

-------------------------------------

I hope it makes some small difference, at least.
by Anonymous81
Sun Jul 12, 2015 7:11 pm
 
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Re: Shenmue III Kickstarter Ends At $6,333,295; 69,320 Backe

This will go down as my proudest moment ever as a gamer. I gave literally every dollar I could without hurting myself. We did it, guys. We made the miracle come true. And now, with PayPal having been announced, I have NO DOUBT that we will get the Shenmue game we have waited for for the better part of 20 years. This is a momentous day I shall remember for the rest of my life.

I love you all and am so grateful to you all, and so honored to have been a small part of this process.
by Anonymous81
Fri Jul 17, 2015 11:04 pm
 
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Re: What a journey this month has been.

My memories of the campaign:

A lot of people being confused by the reward tiers due to arguably less than ideal planning from the outset.

More passion and love for this series than I ever imagined could exist, despite how much I loved it myself.

Multiple instances of tears of joy (July 3rd push, PS4 physical announcement, finding out Yu cried at E3, learning Yu was moved by the "Thank Yu" video, and of course, this final day.)

The resurrection within my heart and soul of the previously dead belief that DREAMS DO COME TRUE. There just aren't words to adequately express how much more than a mere video game this means to me. Dreamcast changed my life. This is like having something from it back again.

Still overwhelmed by it all.

Also: I really feel, despite how poorly managed certain aspects of the campaign were, Awesome Japan deserves at least credit for all their hard work. Even if they didn't do a fantastic job at all times, no one can deny they worked hard in my opinion. Hard work and poor results aren't mutually exclusive.
by Anonymous81
Fri Jul 17, 2015 11:26 pm
 
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Re: Yu Suzuki officially announces Paypal support for Shenmu

Yeah, we should lobby Ys Net and AJ to add a counter once they implement PayPal. It can be done. If nothing else, they should issue periodic reports on the progress of funding like Star Citizen.
by Anonymous81
Sat Jul 18, 2015 3:26 am
 
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The miracle of Shenmue III

I was just pondering this a bit, and I thought it might be fun to look at all the borderline-miraculous circumstances that coalesced to bring us the success we just had on Kickstarter and the resurrection of this franchise from seeming oblivion. In all seriousness, some pretty remarkable things had to happen to get us to this day. And some pretty amazing coincidences as well.

Firstly, and most importantly of all of course, the undying passion that the fans have kept alight for far longer than most would have for any other IP. I mean when you really look at it: 14 years. That's the difference between being 16 years old and 30 years old. That's the difference between high school and being a 30-something adult with children. How many people hold on to the love of something that long? Especially something that wasn't exactly a raving mainstream success?

It's not like it's a mainstream, popular thing to be a Shenmue fan in 2015 (well... it might become one now of course!) It's not like we're constantly reminded of it or get it reinforced by the media or our peers (except in communities like this one.) No, it has been entirely up to us to grit our teeth and slog through the years, carrying a seemingly futile torch for this video game. That we did that is remarkable!

Secondly, the length of time itself. How many other examples are there of ANYTHING this old in entertainment years (entertainment properties age fast) that get resurrected? I can think of only a rare handful, all of which were far more popular than Shenmue. Star Trek. Star Wars. X-Files. And those all had corporate backing. They weren't independent affairs, and they had massive media exposure and vast audiences. That people are even still TALKING about Shenmue, let alone planning to bring it back today is just astounding.

Thirdly, the many, many times Yu tried to get the game - or something Shenmue related (Shenmue Online, Shenmue City, etc.) - made, but couldn't get things off the ground. Normally when a creative force of his caliber and renown tries so many times to do something and they can't, they go on to something else. They don't doggedly hold onto a single-minded determination to get that one thing made for over a decade. Granted he did some mobile stuff, but by and large, his focus has been Shenmue. That he finally succeeded is miraculous in its own right.

Fourthly, fans petitioning Sony at just the right time. Sony's "building the list" initiative led to people speaking up and seizing the opportunity to try to get Shenmue noticed by a big company again, in some way, shape, or form. That in and of itself isn't that surprising. But what's amazing is that Yu had been considering Kickstarter for a few years, and seriously investigating the possibility of getting the game done that way. He said repeatedly that the game needed "the right opportunity" for it to work out. It was the timing of fans petitioning Sony, Sony reaching out to him, and E3 allowing him a soap box, that FINALLY provided that "right opportunity" and the rallying cry that could finally give the game a real chance of securing the funding it needed.

Fifthly, Sega allowing Yu the right to make Shenmue 3. They didn't have to do this. There are other examples of companies asking IP holders to let them do something like this, and them saying no, and sitting on said IPs and doing nothing with them. Sega has been pretty lax about letting people at least try, though. Sega's not perfect and hasn't exactly ingratiated themselves to gamers in recent years, but this one aspect of their behavior is really cool and should be applauded. Especially since, other than any potential good PR or future Shenmue related releases they can use this as a springboard for, they have no financial stake in doing it that we know if.

Sixthly, the PS4 physical copies through Kickstarter. Another example of a big company doing something they didn't have to do. Sony isn't going to see a dime for those physical copies, and we know they're the ones handling publishing (presumably PS4 porting) so in short, they're throwing money away with each of those physical copies. Just to help the Kickstarter out. Again, yes, admittedly, this gives them good PR, and the more successful the game is the more money they theoretically stand to make once its released on PS4, but it's still a risk and something they didn't have to do. It's pretty respectable.

Penultimately, breaking the record for most funded game precisely when we did. We broke the record just before dawn on the west coast of the U.S., where many major gaming sites and companies have their headquarters. Arguably, this is what gave us a huge final wave of publicity that launched the surge we witnessed throughout the final day. We were always going to exceed what we had made the previous day, but over 900K? That's publicity in my opinion. That it worked out precisely when it did is amazing indeed.

And last but not least... we finished on 6.333 I mean... REALLY? Seriously! Shenmue 3. 3rd of the month #SaveShenmue campaign. 30 on the 3rd. And we finish on 6.333? Tell me that's not the least bit improbable! Lol.

In short... the journey to Shenmue 3's Kickstarter success has been amazing, especially considering all the obstacles it had to overcome. I consider it a literal miracle, and a once in a lifetime event that I will remember forever. Seriously, this is the stuff of legends. Things simply don't ever work out this way in life. That they did for Shenmue 3, is kismet.
by Anonymous81
Sat Jul 18, 2015 2:34 am
 
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Re: Shenmue 3 sales & franchise future

mrandyk wrote: Your time and money will be better spent if you spread the word rather than buying an additional copy.


The two are not mutually exclusive. :)

I choose how my time and money is best spent incidentally. :)
by Anonymous81
Thu Aug 20, 2015 5:57 am
 
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Re: Shenmue III Kickstarter Ends At $6,333,295; 69,320 Backe

It can take up to 7 days apparently for Kickstarter transactions to go through.
by Anonymous81
Sat Jul 18, 2015 6:34 am
 
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Re: AwesomeJapan - postmortem performance

I have always said the campaign was far less than ideal. However I wouldn't go so far as to say it was atrocious, either.

I think there is more than meets the eye to the whole situation, personally. I suspect Ys Net had a lot less money to invest in the campaign than we might imagine, and that they had to make the most of what they had. I also suspect there were a lot of language and cultural barrier issues in terms of PR. Better translation of the stretch goals and rewards would have definitely helped.

But I think honestly, since Yu said in last night's stream that he monitors and is intimately involved in everything - from the game to the Kickstarter - that a lot of it had to do with underestimating the appetite for a slick, professional looking and feeling campaign. We've been a bit spoiled by recent Kickstarters, and expect that same level of polish. Whereas I feel Ys Net were going for a more relaxed, casual, "with the fans" experience that didn't have every single point nailed down from a PR and planning standpoint.

I also kind of feel that the timing of the reveal - at E3 - was an opportunity he was presented with that he couldn't pass up, but that this left little time to actually plan the campaign effectively. Things felt rushed and haphazard... probably, in my opinion, because they were, and had to be.

Things are usually a lot more complicated and involved than we ever seen from the outside looking in. For all we know they did the best they could with an impossible situation and with very little in the way of funds to pull it off, hoping for a miracle as they flew by the seat of their pants.

Yes, yes, Awesome Japan are professionals and one would expect a certain level of pizazz to come with that moniker. But professionals are human too. And when in a hurry and trying to promote a project that's still very much amorphous and unformed, it can be difficult to even know with certainty what you're promoting, let alone do so in a way that seems completely coherent at every step of the journey.

So with all that said, I feel they worked really hard, with less than stellar results. That's the worst I can say of them without knowing more about the whole situation. There could have been a lot of reasons we're not privy to behind why they did or didn't do certain things we with they had.
by Anonymous81
Sun Jul 19, 2015 1:35 am
 
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Re: Realistic NPC's in Shenmue 3

To be fair, games like Bethesda's TES series do have NPCs that all have full work, sleep, and leisure schedules. It was one of the most touted features beginning with Oblivion, and continuing in Skyrim.

The difference - and in my opinion advantage - to Shenmue's implementation of this (apart from being the first game to really innovate it) is the smaller, more closed community allows those schedules and behaviors to 1) feel more important, and 2) actually get noticed by the player.

Sometimes in modern sandbox games, there's almost TOO much freedom to really stop and appreciate the more subtle stuff that's going on. But with Shenmue, everything from the camera's closeness to Ryo, to the methodical pace, to the smaller scale of the world all forces those things into the player's attention front and center. And as a result, they feel so much more immersive and REAL to me.

In sandboxes, the journey and the experience is about massive visual vistas and freedom to roam and create your own personal story. In Shenmue, the the journey is Ryo's, and the experience is about intimate, granular minutia and everyday life details. It's almost more like a life sim than an open world game.

That was by far what I loved most about Shenmue.

Sidenote: What was the first game to feature dynamic shadows that change with time of day? Because Shenmue 2 did a fantastic job with that and I remember thinking at the time that it was amazing. Did it innovate that too? Or at least beat others to it?
by Anonymous81
Sun Jul 19, 2015 8:32 pm
 
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Re: Yu Suzuki officially announces Paypal support for Shenmu

One thing to consider about PayPal that I had completely forgotten about: PayPal hasn't always gone smoothly with crowdfunding projects.

Skull Girls, Dreamfall Chapters, and several other projects that were Kickstarted and then added PayPal afterwards, had their PayPal accounts frozen, with PayPal saying for some time that they would not be unlocked until such time as the games were actually released. They said they were trying to "protect their customers." This has happened several times, and it took a monumental - if fortunately brief - effort to make PayPal see reason and unfreeze the accounts again.

There are different laws in different countries governing PayPal's policies (as they attempt to remain adherent to their interpretation of those laws on a country by country basis,) which causes all sorts of unexpected complexities and conflicts. So things aren't quite as cut and dried as "just do it."

As I've said before, we're not sitting there with Ys Net and AJ, privy to their discussion or decisions. We don't know everything going on behind the scenes or all the reasons for what they do (and don't do) or why. Personally, I'm inclined to always give everyone the benefit of the doubt unless I have proof of pure ineptitude or bungling.

And even were that the case... what can we do about it? We have two choices. 1) Plough ahead and support this process to the hilt, or 2) Fall apart and be less supportive. Even though I know it's frustrating as heck, which of those two courses will best serve the game? It's not as if our outrage is going to force them to put PayPal up more quickly. We waited 14 years for this. We can wait a few more days. I share everyone's frustration. I do. I just want to stay positive and motivated to relentlessly support this, whatever happens, and no matter how bad things get.

That's what got us to where we are now, and it's what will get us to where we want to be. *Insert something about life and lemons here*
by Anonymous81
Sun Jul 19, 2015 6:40 pm
 
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Re: Monday without a Kickstarter update is killing me

Things like this only underscore my feeling that there is simply some sort of unintended (and innocent) disconnect between their perception of Kickstarter and ours. Everyone is quick to blame AJ for the mishandling of the KS, but Yu said in the stream that he is intimately involved in and monitoring everything that happens. So I wonder if he just doesn't think about it the way we do, or fully understand people's expectations. Which is actually understandable.

Either that or they're working on a major update of some kind. We know they're working on PayPal at least. Maybe they really are trying to implement it in a snazzy way and it's taking time? Fingers crossed.

I'm sure we'll hear something soon.

P.S. The last update we got on Friday was late in the afternoon PDT, so it's still POSSIBLE we could hear something today. Maybe...
by Anonymous81
Mon Jul 20, 2015 6:17 pm
 
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Re: Shenmue III: Linearity and branching ??

Branching, yes. Multiple objectives at once, I'm iffy on for a couple of reasons.

1) The whole reason the time management aspect of the game felt like it mattered, was because we had very clear, specific objectives, but had to wait for them to happen. Which meant trying to fill time in the interim. If that time is instead packed with multiple objectives at once, it could detract from that mechanic.

2) As Yokosuka said, they might feel tempted by multiple objectives to add HUD markers for them. That's something I definitely don't want to see in a Shenmue game. Shenmue is all about methodical analysis of surroundings, exploration, and carefully taking everything in. I don't want to rush toward a beacon of some kind on a HUD. I don't want to be ALLOWED to ignore my surroundings. I want to HAVE to pay attention. That's core to Shenmue for me.

Branching though, yes. That could be a great, cost effective way to add a lot of replay value to what may otherwise be a shorter game than some would like. Combined with the rapport system and character perspective system, branching dialogue and some choice and consequence could go a long way toward creating a meaty feeling game experience.
by Anonymous81
Mon Jul 20, 2015 9:17 pm
 
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Re: KS Update #43: Thank you from Yu Suzuki

Awesome!

And if this doesn't quite assuage those impatient for a more substantive update (e.g. PayPal etc.) please see: http://www.shenmuedojo.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=48753 which suggests Cedric is the one in charge of such financial matters, and please see the comment elsewhere (can't find it now) in which Joel Tess from AJ told a backer in a response, "There are reasons, some of which we aren't privy to. As you can imagine, this is a little more complicated than your average Kickstarter" or some such.

So I think maybe, just maybe, we should stop leveling all of the blame on AJ. I'm not defending their performance, which was far less than ideal as I've consistently said. But it seems clear to me that there are obstacles and dynamics and complexities none of us have any insight into, making for the delay in getting PayPal up. And if the above article is true, it's not in their hands exclusively. And we KNOW Cedric has done everything he can to make things work smoothly, so clearly there are obstacles making this take a while.

We should always give people the benefit of the doubt before rushing to judge imho.

SHENMUE III is IN DEVELOPMENT! O_O *Dances*
by Anonymous81
Wed Jul 22, 2015 8:01 pm
 
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Re: Yu Suzuki officially announces Paypal support for Shenmu

Cedric did actually say bomb several times himself.

He said spirit bomb at one point, and "hopefully we will have many more bombs to drop before Dec 2017!" recently. I think Goro over at the Kickstarter set that term off, and Cedric sort of adopted it lol.
by Anonymous81
Wed Jul 22, 2015 8:57 pm
 
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Re: Paypal Update... Sort Of

Yeah, I've tried to paste and paraphrase this message (the original one, not this latest one) in various places. Definitely deserves its own topic.

This is why I continue to advocate giving people the benefit of the doubt rather than rushing to judgment. We aren't flies on the wall watching the proceedings and we have no idea what is going on. To simply assume ineptitude or a lackadaisical attitude is unfair in my opinion.
by Anonymous81
Fri Jul 24, 2015 2:55 am
 
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Re: Gamespot : Is Shenmue a Good Game? - The Lobby

I think the best and most succinct answer to the question, "Is Shenmue a Good Game?" is simply:

"At least good enough for thousands of people all over the world to lose their minds when a sequel was finally announced, and for somewhere between 50,000 and 70,000 people to voluntarily donate more than 6 million dollars to see it happen."

Enough said.
by Anonymous81
Mon Jul 27, 2015 1:42 am
 
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Re: "Making Sense of Shenmue 3"

A great factual analysis and example of real, honest journalism that is to be applauded but will, unfortunately, do nothing to deter those who insist on seeing some sort of paranoiac conspiracy theory intrinsic to the game and its Kickstarter.

Something that's been eating at me and that I've wanted to say to said conspiracy theorists for a while now, and which I think needs saying:

Hey, I don't like big publishers' sales models and business practices generally either. I won't preorder a game for bonuses. I won't buy a season pass. I won't buy a game that requires internet for single player. Etc.

But those choices are my prerogative as a consumer. No one is forcing me to do, or refrain from doing, anything. The same is true of Kickstarter. Crowdfunding is voluntary charity for creative endeavors.

"If you back it, you're gullible." Uh, no. Not really. I know exactly what's happening here, and I'm all for it! Thanks!

"You're allowing your nostalgia to be exploited!" Uh, no. I'm willingly, and with full cognizance, choosing to let my nostalgia guide my choice in this instance. I LIKE nostalgia. Problem? Is that not okay? Am I not allowed to make decisions based purely upon nostalgia? Should I not be buying masterpiece Transformers because they're 30 year old characters that only appeal to nostalgia? Should I not bob my head to the Darkwing Duck theme when it comes up on my mp3 player? Should I not be excited about Rare Replay coming out with tons of classic Rare developed games?

"Sony is funding the whole game's development. The Kickstarter is just a way for them to scam money out of people like you!" Really? I mean, I suppose it's CONCEIVABLE... but do you really, REALLY think it's somehow better for them, financially or creatively, to bilk a few million out of a relatively miniscule reservoir of hardcore fans, and get conditional funding from Sony, than it would be to have simply announced, "Hey! Shenmue 3 is happening! Coming in 2017 to PS4 and PC!" and publish through traditional channels if they had that ability available to them? If you say so.

But here's the kicker: even were that true... I... don't... care. SURPRISE! I just want my Shenmue 3. Don't care how it gets made. Don't care who's funding it. Don't care if they have additional funding or even full funding from Sony. At all.

How about those who have ethical qualms with this (I have ethical qualms with plenty of things in the video game industry too, for the record) acknowledge that everyone has the right to do whatever they want with their own fandom, their own money, their own time, their own passion, and their own energy, rather than suggesting that if you participate in a given endeavor, you're somehow a gullible pawn in an evil, evil master plan?

Perhaps I'm being unreasonable. I'll show myself out.
by Anonymous81
Sat Aug 01, 2015 7:37 pm
 
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Re: What do you expect to be disappointing ?

My expectations are extremely low. So hopefully not much lol.

Well, not so much my expectations. More like my "bullet points for what I'll be happy with personally."

Realistically, I expect the game to be awesome for Shenmue fans, and just "okay" by modern industry standards. (Or "pretty darn good" by low budget indie game standards, perhaps!)

Either way... for myself...

I just want a great story told, with familiar and new characters alike, and above all, the Shenmue FEELING and ATMOSPHERE. Lots of verisimilitude and granular detail. Even if it isn't graphically the prettiest thing anyone has ever seen.

And lots and lots of diversions and time sinks to flesh out what might otherwise be a fairly brief experience.

As long as it does that, I'll be happy and not disappointed no matter what.
by Anonymous81
Tue Sep 15, 2015 9:06 pm
 
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Re: PAYPAL SUPPORT FOR SHENMUE 3 NOW LIVE!

Ignore the click bait journalism. They're always like this. They always will be like this.

Also ignore those who go with it. Anyone who was ever going to continue funding after already doing so during the Kickstarter will, and anyone who wasn't, probably never will. We can garner a few converts through things like TeamYu doing something every 3rd on social media again, but beyond that, Shenmue 3's funding base (from crowdsourcing at least) is already established.

Anyone who wasn't already willing to give blood isn't going to do so now. And anyone who was - and is able - will. It's that simple, and worrying about the negative opinions of the funding being thrown around won't change it one iota imho.

Just focus on what we CAN do. Which is raise awareness AMONG those established fans ready and able to continue funding, and try to get the few converts we can through campaigns such as whatever TeamYu has planned for next month.

Stay positive and determined rather than generating consternation about what we have absolutely no control over. And never forget it's - possibly literally - a miracle any of this is happening at all in the first place.

IMHO

Peace.
by Anonymous81
Fri Sep 18, 2015 10:17 am
 
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Re: PAYPAL SUPPORT FOR SHENMUE 3 NOW LIVE!

What I would like to know is the reason for the delayed paypal. At first I thought that YsNet, Sony and Sega perhaps were working on finalizing a deal to make Shenmue HD and to coincide the announcement with the paypal support, perhaps even as part of the rewards. The fact that paypal was going to be announced at the 17th and that Yu Suzuki, Cedric and Shibuya were going to TGS made me think it was possible that HD ports would be announced there. Now that TGS is over we know that's not the case.
Another possibility I though of was that they were simply preparing attractive new rewards with a variety of reward tiers and that was the reason for the delay. Now we can see that's not really the case either, the reward tiers are basically the same as in the kickstarter campaign, at least for now. Anyone who has a reasonable theory for the delay?

The best theory I've heard - and the one I find most reasonable personally, although I still don't know the specifics at all - though we'll likely never know for certain, is that there are different legal realities in different regions and countries when it comes to how PayPal functions. Not from a user standpoint obviously, but from a legal standpoint in terms of accepting donations for an unfinished product versus simply transferring funds or buying an existing product.

That, and the fact that in the past PayPal has frozen donated funds for crowdfunded projects because they felt there was not sufficient guarantee of product delivery to their customers. Straightening all of that out, at least to a degree YsNet would find safe and secure so they could rely on any donated funds without such unknowns, may have taken longer to figure out in an authoritative way than we might imagine.

We also know from responses by Awesome Japan that there were things going on they weren't privy to necessarily, which means we weren't either, contributing to the delay. So I think getting all of the i's and t's dotted and crossed legally and in other ways is a good theory as to the reasons. But even failing that, clearly something was going on that we lack any insight into which demanded considerable time and effort to straighten out. What that could be specifically? Your guess is as good as mine.

We will probably never know with any certainty. I'm just glad it's finally functional. It would have been great to have it immediately after the KS and I do feel we lost momentum (understatement,) but what's done is done. Must move forward.
by Anonymous81
Sun Sep 20, 2015 10:42 am
 
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Re: We should really push for full voice acting

The best way to push for full voice acting is to promote the PayPal campaign during the window we have imho. They've said it is contingent upon funding, and that's the only tool we have.

This will be a game with a very limited budget. There is a finite amount of content they will be able to create. If it's a choice between a larger world and more things to actually do in game, and voice acting where text would convey the same information but just less cinematically, then I would prefer they do the latter personally. I don't want a smaller game world and less content just so we can have voice acting.

But if we want to have our cake and eat it, too... we need to raise more funds.
by Anonymous81
Sun Sep 20, 2015 10:48 am
 
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Re: How did you react to the announcement?

My reaction was:

"No... NO! O_O" Followed by, "If this is in any way disingenuous or not really a true Shenmue sequel, I will cry."

Then I saw Yu, and saw the people in the audience crying, and cried. Then I immediately watched other people's reactions (especially the Huber reaction lol) and cried again. And again. For like an hour.

Then I got angry that Sony wasn't actually funding it, and was cynically using people's fandom to garner goodwill for themselves without contributing (which I later of course found out was totally false and that they were actually contributing an undisclosed amount - which came as a big relief to me lol.)

Then I started looking into whether or not I could afford to contribute. And then I debated whether I should... but finally could not resist, and did. And then became obsessed. And then spent hours every day promoting it and ended up going way over what I initially intended to donate lol.

And now... now I am reliving those memories thanks to this topic, and smiling broadly. :)
by Anonymous81
Fri Sep 25, 2015 3:19 pm
 
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Re: PAYPAL SUPPORT FOR SHENMUE 3 NOW LIVE!

Just did my monthly 3rd of the month $30 donation. ^_^ All I can manage for now. Bound and determined to at least do that, though. I had planned to donate far more, and to donate to Shenmue Dojo as well but... medical bills. Darn real life, always getting in the way of my unbridled idealism. :P
by Anonymous81
Sat Oct 03, 2015 10:32 pm
 
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Re: PAYPAL SUPPORT FOR SHENMUE 3 NOW LIVE!

At our current pace (approx. $50,000 a month) I predict we will just barely make 6.5 million, adding one more stretch goal. Not horrible at all. Not the greatest, but not horrible. Still privileged and excited to have been a part of this, no matter what the outcome. Still think everyone here are gaming heroes lol. :P
by Anonymous81
Tue Oct 06, 2015 8:41 am
 
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Re: "I Could Do With A Bit More Money" Yu Interview @Eurogam

Today Polygon had an op-ed on this as well, and it was borderline sarcastic and admonishing.

I posted the following in response, for what it's worth:


With all due respect, and total deference to everyone’s right to an opinion… to say I disagree with this op-ed, powerfully, would be a massive understatement.

Some facts omitted from all of these recent articles surrounding Shenmue 3 funding.

1) "I could do with some more money!" was said with a smile and a chuckle. Not as an ungrateful demand along the lines of, "We refuse to divulge details but we need more funds pronto!" Yu and co have been nothing but grateful and respectful towards their backers to date.

2) Shenmue is not a profitable franchise. It is an enormous financial risk. No one wanted to touch it. Sony, Shibuya, and other unstated sources are indeed contributing some unspecified amount… but it has been stated that it isn’t anything approaching even half the full budget required for a proper followup to what was one of the most innovative and ambitious examples of game design in history. If it were, Sony would have simply announced it as a PS4 exclusive that they were publishing themselves. There would be no crowdfunding.

3) Crowdfunding is voluntary. People do understand this, yes? No one is holding a gun to anyone’s head here. Kickstarter is charity for creative endeavors. It’s not investment. It’s not purchase. It’s not preorder. It’s charity. Voluntary charity for creative endeavors.

4) It is ridiculously common for crowdfunded projects, through Kickstarter and other platforms, to also raise funds from other sources. Not just PayPal, but also other funding partners. It is equally common for said projects to never specify what the nature, source, or quantity of said funding is. No one is under any obligation to divulge such details and, indeed, there may be agreements prohibiting the parties in question from doing so.

5) Perhaps most importantly… they weren’t even going to do PayPal originally! The backers on Kickstarter hounded them about it, out of sheer desire to see many who complained that they couldn’t use Kickstarter for whatever reason, get the opportunity to back the project as well. They provided PayPal at our request. I can say this as someone present for the entirety of the campaign. This PayPal funding only lasts for a few months. It ends in December. It is not perpetual. (Frankly, I wish it was. Perhaps then we’d get a truly worthy followup, instead of what is likely to be a pared down sequel that cuts corners in order to continue this decade plus old narrative… but it’s still more than I ever hoped to see in a million years, so I’ll gladly take it.)

With the above facts in mind, some questions:

Is anyone upset that Red Ash got a publisher, thus prompting the crowdsourced funds to only be for stretch goals?

Is anyone upset that Deep Silver is publishing Bloodstained?

Is anyone upset that Star Citizen has raised NINETY MILLION dollars through crowdfunding, long after its initial campaign ended?

Why is Shenmue 3 being singled out for this treatment by the gaming press at every turn? Is it simply because of its high profile reveal at E3 by Sony?

Shenmue fans waited for 15 years for something we never, ever thought would happen. Something that never, ever does happen in this industry: a game that was an outright commercial disaster, from a failed platform that ended a major company’s participation in the hardware market, with an arguably niche audience, being revived and against all odds, breaking crowdfunding records.

Our funding of it is voluntary, witting, and passionate. We are, with some exceptions of course as everyone is different, for the most part, all quite happy about it. So what, may I ask, is the problem exactly?

I fully concede that, as a devoted Shenmue fan, I am biased. But there are some serious double, triple, and quadruple standards being applied to Shenmue 3 and its funding. We waited 15 years. Criticism and opposition are everyone’s prerogative. But please consider the above when putting out such messaging on the project. Please.

Thank-you.
by Anonymous81
Tue Oct 06, 2015 11:34 am
 
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Re: "I Could Do With A Bit More Money" Yu Interview @Eurogam

^ In all fairness, the chances of Sony not getting anything in return are virtually nonexistent. It just means they’ve worked out a deal we aren’t privy to…which actually sums up that partnership quite well.

I don't know about that. None of the KS funds are going to Sony, and the physical copies are only going to KS backers. So how does Sony recoup the cost of those units? I would speculate Shibuya or YsNet paid for them... except that YsNet has stated when we were all clamoring for them that it was up to Sony, not them. A greater percentage of digital sales to compensate perhaps? That's the only thing I can think of.

Re: the need of a “new” PR strategy, I’m just puzzled by the official lack of action, to be honest. Aside from throwing out Paypal as a complete afterthought, they really haven’t done sh*t.

On the one hand, I’m incredibly happy to have the game finally happening. I really am.
On the other, I’m infuriated as to the overall handling of all things marketing; I mean…what the f*ck? They realize there’s still money to be made here…right?

I'm certain they do. This is why (and this is ONLY a hypothesis, not an assertion) I suspect three things.

1) The KS campaign was thrown together extremely quickly to capitalize on the E3 timing because the deal they made happened very abruptly, and in close proximity to the event.

2) They have VERY limited funds for marketing in their own budget. They seem to have believed Sony would provide advertising and marketing. I suspect this is why Awesome Japan were chosen, despite their somewhat spotty track record. Price.

3) Sony is taking a very hands-off approach with them, essentially letting them sink or swim apart from whatever financing deal they entered into, and the physical copies. I could be way, way off base, but I sort of get the feeling they expected more marketing support from Sony than they've received. They clearly lack the funds to handle it themselves, or they would have imho.

What do you think?
by Anonymous81
Tue Oct 06, 2015 8:46 pm
 
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Re: What's Shenmue: Article about the saga's history

Shared this on Twitter. Deserves to be read in full.
by Anonymous81
Mon Oct 12, 2015 8:28 pm
 
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Re: NoconKid (Shenmue HD) working on Shenmue III :)

Yeah, I shall go out on a limb and say Yu and NoconKid both know what they're doing and why. Still super stoked for him. :)
by Anonymous81
Thu Oct 15, 2015 11:19 am
 
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